Improvement in portable railroads



UNITED STATES PATENT OEErcE.

JOHANN N. PETELER, OE soEEPPAcH, BAVARIA, AssIGNOR TONALOIs PETELER, OFNEW BRIGHTON, NEw YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN PORTABLE RAILROADS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 57,826, dated September4, 1866.

y which- Figure 1 represents a plan of the single rail. Fig. 2 is asimilar view of the turn-out. Fig. 3 is a similar View of the bearerswith longitudinal connections. Fig. 4L is a similar View of the bridge.Fig. 5 is a similar View of a crossing. Fig. 6 is a similar view ot' aturntable. Fig. 7 shows the turn-table and connections. Figs. S, 9, and10 show di'erent arrangement for curves. Figs. 11 and 11gh show an endand a side view of the car.

The remaining figures show details or sections, and will be referred toas the description progresses.

Similar' letters of reference indicate like parts.

The object of this invention is a portable railroad,which can be readilytransported from one place to another, and easily put down or taken up,and which can be used with great advantage for passing over marsh land,for building roads., or Jr'or engineering or building operations ingeneral.

The rails A are made of pine wood, which is light, cheap, and somewhatflexible. Each rail is about twenty or twenty-live feet long, three anda half inches high, and two and a half inches wide, oval on the top;otherwise rectangular.

The connection between two rails is effected by means of four (more orless) cross-bars, m, of cast-iron or other suitable material, which aresecured in position by nuts screwed on their ends or in any suitablemanner. Each .section being composed of two rails,which are enin g maybe used, such, for instance, as shown in Figs. 1% or 1*.

It' the portable railroad is much used, turnouts B are required, such asshown in Fig. 2. This turn-out is constructed `of two halves, which areconnected at their wide ends. It is necessary to make the same in twoparts, so that they can be conveniently transported. Each half can becarried by three men.

If for particular purposes a wider or longer turn-out should be requiredthan the one shown in the drawings, it could be made in more than twoparts by cutting it up transversely or longitudinally to snitconvenience.

rIhe connections between the two halves of the turn-out and thosebetween the turn-out and the adjoining sections ot the road are effectedby the same means which are used to connect the sections themselves.

By placing between the two halves of the turn-out one or more ordinarysections of rails, the turn-out can be prolonged to any desireddistance. Said turn out ought to be constructed of oak wood, and notmore than a i'ew minutes are required to put it down or takeit up.

In case the railroad is to be put down on moor land or marshy ground, asupportingframe, G, is required to prevent the rails from sinking intothe ground by the weight of the cars.

rIhe supporting-frames are constructed of a series of bearers, c, whichextend transversely under the rails, and the ends ot' which areconnected by boards o, running parallel with the rails. Theselongitudinal connections form the walks for the carmen, and they areunited to each other b v suitable fastenings similar to those describedin Figs. l, 15, and By means of these snpporting-i'rames the rails areenabled to support any weight to which they may be exposed, and saidframes can be made so light that ten men can put down a length of onethousand feet, together with the requisite quantity of rails.

For the purpose of crossing rivers or canals I use a bridge, D,constructed as shown in Fig. 4. These bridges are similar inconstruction to the supporting-frames, but the longitudinal connectionsare stronger than those in the former case. If a canal exceeding sixteenfeet in width is to be crossed, the ends of the bridges are supported bysuitable yokes, and in crossing rivers ordinary rafts are used.

Where one road crosses another, a crossing, E, is used, such as shown inFig. 5. These crossings are so constructed that they can be easilycarried by two men, and that they can be laid down and taken up withouttrouble or loss of time.

In many operations, such as filling up low or marshy ground or levelinghills, Sac., aturntable, F, is required, which is constructed as shownin Figs. 6 and 7. This turn-table is constructed of a wooden rim aboutfour feet in diameter, three inches high, and six inches wide, with acrossing ofthe same width.

The rim is strengthened by a cast-iron hoop, which is provided withstuds a projecting over the circumference of the wooden rim. Said studsare provided with holes, into which the rails are hung, and by changingthe rails in the various holes cars can be run in thirty-two (more orless) different directions without moving` the turn-table.

By turning the table the rails which are at tacbed to its rim may bemade to radiate in any desired direction.

In order to bring the car in the desired direction, it is driven orpushed on the rails b, which are attached to the turn-table and revolveon its center, and said rails are turned until they point in the desireddirection.

By taking up the turn-table and putting it down in another spot,backward or forward, thirty-two (more or less) new directions are obtained, and by these means every square foot of a piece of ground can bereached. The position of the turn-table in each of its directions isrendered secure by a stop applied so as to retain the rails in therequired position.

rlhe weight of the turn-table is such that the same can be convenientlycarried by three men, and it can be easily laid down in any desiredplace.

The holes in the studs a may be cast in, and they may be made to extendup and down or in a horizontal direction, according to the constructionof the fasteuings on the several sections of rails to be connected tothe rim.

The rails b, which revolve on the center-pin ot' the turn-table, must beso arranged that their surfaces are in line with the rails attached tothe studs a.

If desired, a combination-rail, G, may be secured to the turn-table,such as shown in Fig. 7.

By the use of this combination-rail several directions, which divergeunder very acute angles, can be reached without requiring any change inthe position of the turn-table or of the rails.

Where the road has to be laid in curves, sections H, I, and K are used,such as shown in Figs. 8, 9, and l0. These curved sections may either bemade in the simple form shown in Fig. 8, or two curves may be combined,as shown in Fig. 9, or a curved section may be combined with an ordinarystraight section, as shown in Fig. 10; andk where two sections arecombined suitable frogs c are applied, so that the cars can be readilybrought from one section to the other.

It is obvious that the shape of these curves and their combination witheach other or with straight sections can be changed in a great manydifferent ways to conform to the formation of a certain tract of land,although it must be remarked that the curves shown in the drawings aresufficient for almost any emergency which may arise. i

The cars L used on my portable railroad must be low, so as to preventthem from sway ing to and fro, or from tumbling over, partielllarlywhere the road passes over soft or marshy ground, and great precaution'must be taken in this respect, particularly because the gage of theroad cannot be made to exceed fifteen inches without impairing itsquality of being portable. The cars must also be so constructed thatthey will open from both sides, and in some cases also from the ends.

The operation of this portable road is very simple, and it saves muchtime and labor.

All the parts required for a line of one thousand feet can be carried bythree ordinary wagons, and ten men can take up the road and lay it downin from one and a halfto four hours, according to the formation of theground.

Minor alterations in the road can be effected with little loss of time.Four men can take up and relay a turn-table in live minutes, and aturn-out in ten minutes.

The expense of a line of one thousand feet is from four hundred dollarsto six hundred dollars, and it can be used in a great many operations.

In digging peat, filling 'up sunken or wet lands, leveling or buildingroads, and, in fact, in all engineering and building operations, the useof my road saves much time, labor, and

expense.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A portable railroad composed of sections A, turn-outs B,supporting-frames C, bridges D, crossings E, and one or moreturn-tables, F, all constructed, combined, and operating substantiallyas and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of the perforated studs a and turn-table F, providedwith rails b, constructed and operating substantially as described, forthe purpose specified.

The above specication of my invention signed by me this 30th day ofSeptember, 1865.

JOH. NEP. PETELER.

Witnesses J Aeon NIEDNAMAYR, ANTON HUBLER.

